Olive Oil Carrot Cake

5 from 2 votes

Olive Oil Carrot Cake

This layered Olive Oil Carrot Cake is made with extra virgin olive oil and over two cups of grated carrots for a moist and tender cake spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg, and frosted with a simple velvety cream cheese icing.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 683kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

Ingredients

Olive Oil Carrot Cake

1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups milk
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups grated carrots 355g, about 5 large carrots
3 cups all-purpose flour 420g
1¼ cup granulated sugar 260g
4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ tsp allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
pecans or walnuts optional for topping the cake

Cream Cheese Frosting

24 oz cream cheese, softened 3 standard 8 oz bars
¾ cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cakepans.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, whole milk, eggs and egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Add the grated carrots and combine.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Do not overmix. Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
Place the pans in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
Remove one of the cakes from the cake pan and place it on a cake stand or cake plate. Use a bread knife to remove the very top rounded edge of the cake. Add a few heaping spoonfuls of the frosting and use an offset spatula or a bread knife to spread the frosting over the top of the cake.
Remove the rounded top of the second cake and invert it on top of the frosting. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake. This is the crumb coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set and “lock in” the cake crumbs.
Remove the cake from the fridge and add a second layer of frosting around the entire cake. Top with chopped walnuts or pecans if desired.

Notes

- Carrots: Peel and grate large carrots. You can use a food processor or a box grater; either one works. Do not use pre-grated carrots.

- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing develops gluten (think chewy pizza crust) and leads to a denser, tougher cake, whereas less gluten development leads to a lighter, fluffier cake.

- Frosting the Cake:
  - - Make sure that the butter and cream cheese are quite soft before combining the frosting ingredients. That way, you get an ultra-smooth consistency.
  - - Let the cake cool before frosting.
  - - Crumb Coat: First, do a thin layer of frosting around the whole cake, then refrigerate briefly to trap in all the crumbs so that you can add a second smooth, thick layer. That way, no crumbs show through.

- Topping the Cake: Use chopped pecans or walnuts to top the cake. For an extra special touch, you can toast the nuts in the oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Let the nuts cool and sprinkle them on the cake.
9-inch Cake Pan: This cake can also be made in two 9-inch cake pans by simply reducing the baking time. Start checking the cake at 25 minutes and remove when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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